Wringer



G. E. ANDRE Dec. 21, 1937.

WRINGER Filed June 1'7, 1955 22 Z1 Z3 25 fnz/enlza/ @155 y E (Zndre WV%1A/ 019i Ill-I mated Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES 2.162412%v WRINGER eats, a. a Richmond, rim.

Application June 17,1935, Serial No. 2am

8 Claims. -(01'. 6842)] This invention relates to improvements in the construction of a wringerof the type ,used in connection with clothes washing machines especially of the domestic type.

The main objects of the invention of clothes between the wringer rolls in such a way as, to almost wholly avoid any possibility of inserting the fingers between the wringer. rolls;

to provide a wringer having feeding means conrolls; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved clothes wringer construction. I

Other objects and advantages will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing in which there is illustrated a wringer embodyinga selected form of the invention and one modification thereof.

In the drawing: v Fig. 1 is an elevation of awringer embodying the present invention. t Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a section corresponding to a portion of Fig. 3, but showing amodified construction.

Referring now to the drawing, the wringer therein illustrated includes upper and lower wringer rolls 5 and 6 which include rigid metallic shafts 1 and 8 respectively, andheavy, solid, rubber opverings 9 and I0 respectively. The

wringer rolls may be of any conventional construction and they. aresuitably mounted in' a framework II for rotation in opposite directions and for adjustment toward andfrom each other as is usual. I I

A drainboard element I2 is also provided, this member being adapted to be tilted to carry ofi the water to either side of the wringer as may be desired.

A pair of guard or feed rolls l3 and I 4 respectively, are associated with opposite sides of the upper wringer roll 5. The guard or feed rolls are carried by suitable bracket plates such as indicated at I 5, one of which is located-at each end of the wringer. Each bracket plate I5 is provided with a centrally located, elongated slot I6 which is designed to receive a supporting stud or shaft such as the outwardly projecting end p01- are to pro vide awringer construction which will incorporate means for feeding or controlling the feeding I tion of the. shaft 1 of theupper r611. 'lft being understood that the upper roll 5 is rotatablymounted in a suitable bearing member such as indicated at II, it will be apparent that the bracket plate I5 is adapted to slide longitudinally and to rock on the supporting shaft element 1. Adjacent each end, each of the bracket'plates I5 is provided with elongated slots such as l9, through which end portions 20, of feeding roll shafts 2|, 2| project."

The feeding rolls i3 and I 4, in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprise the shafts 2| just mentioned and hollow' or tubular'soft resilient rubber members 22. The rubber members 22 are mounted on the shafts 2| by suitable means such as metallic bushings 23. Each of the feedv rolls are, in this instance, substantially starshaped in pross section so as to provide flattened surfaces or ledges 24 which are adapted to receive and carry the leading end of clothing or other material into contact with the upper feed roll. At each end, each feed roll is preferably provided with a smooth-surfaced, cylindrical narrow band, such as indicated at 25, which frictionally engagesthe surface of the upper wringer roll whereby the feed rolls are frictionally driven- The said projecting shaft ends 20, 20 are journaled in suitable bearing members 26, 26 which are'slidably received in sockets 21, 21 formed integrally with the ends of the bracket plates l5. 'I'he'bearing members 26, 26 are preferablyprovided with recesses. or sockets 28, 28 to receive portions of springs such as 29-, interposed between the bracket end portions 30 (which-close the outer ends of the sockets 21) and the-bottom of the bearing member sockets 28. The springs 26 yieldingly urge the respective feed rolls l3 and I 4 toward the wringer roll so as to yieldingly maintain driving engagement between the feed roll and the narrow, smooth-surfaced bands of the feed rolls.

When the wringer roll9 is driven in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, and as indicated by the arrows, the feeding rolls l3 and II will automatically be adjusted to the position illustrated in Fig.2 where the feed roll I4 is in operative positionto feed material to the wringer roll' l9 whichwill carry the material between the two wringer rolls for the removal of excess water. If the direction of rotation of the wringer roll ,9 is reversed, the position of the rolls will be automatically adjusted so that the feed roll I! Joccupies an operative position relative to the wringer roll 9, directly opposite to that in which the roll 44 is illustrated in Fig. 2. Such automatic adjustment results from the driving engagement between the wringer roll 9 and the two feed rolls, rotation of which in the bearings at the ends of the bracket plates 15 is resisted to a greater extent than is rocking of the feed roll assembly on the supporting shaft elements such as 1.

The swinging movement of the feed. rolls and the end or bracket plates I is limited by engagement of portions of the latter with portions of end guards l8 provided at the ends of the lower wringing roll 5. Such end guards are fixed elements so that they constitute fixed stops which are engaged as indicated at 43 by the bracket plates IS.

The rubber tubes or sleeves forming the feed rolls l3 and H are preferably of asoft and very resilient nature so that theymay easily be distorted or bent axially in the event that heavy material isfed between them and the wringer roll in any localized zone. In such an event, the resiliency of the feed rolls will permit the latter to be bent axially and away from the wringer roll thereby preventing the production of high pressure between the feed rolls and the wringer roll. Hence, if it should happen that a persons fingers were drawn between one of the feed rolls and the wringer roll, little harm would result since the feed roll would bend outwardly sufficiently to prevent production of suificient pressure to crush or seriously injure the persons fingers. Hence, the provision of soft, resilient feed rollers constitutes an important safety device.

The described mounting of the feed rolls permits lateral adjustment of the feed' rollers and it will be noticed that very wide lateral adjustment is possible. For example, the roll HI may be moved outwardly first a distance designated A in the elongated slot IS, (the feed roll shaft portion 20 moving outwardly in said slot portion against the pressure of the spring 29), after which the roll may be moved outwardly a further distance indicated at B. between the wringer roll shaft 1 and one end of the slot H5 in the bracket 15. -Of course, the movement in the said slot-s may take place simultaneously or successively, depending upon the relative strength or the difference in strengths of the opposed springs 29. To provide a finished appearance and to guard against the entrance of clothing or washed mate rial between the. ends of the rolls and the bracket plates Hi, the latter are provided with inwardly extending flanges such as indicated at 3 I.

In a modified form of construction illustrated in Fig. 4, the feed roll designated 32 may be of solid, resilient rubber construction, providedwith end shafts such as indicated at 33 molded and suitably anchored in place; for example, by means of a head 34 secured to the inner end of the shaft element 33. The outwardly projecting end portion of the shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in a bearing sleeve 35 which is movable in a housing 33 formed in a bracket element 31 which may be fixedly secured to the side 38 of the upright portion of the wringer framework 39. Intermediate its ends, the bearing sleeve 35 rests a ainst a ful:

crum 40 formed in the housing 36 and a spring ll interposed between the outer end of the bearing sleeve and the side 38 of the wringer frame tends to rock the bearing sleeve in such a direction that its inner'end is moved" toward the wringer roll 42. Hence, the feed roll 32 is also yieldingly maintained in driving contact with the wringer roll 42. In this arrangement, if something heavy is fed between the feed roll and the wringer roll, the roll may bend axially, the said form of mounting at the ends of the roll permitting the shaft portions thereof to follow the bending of the feed roll. 3

In thefollowing claims, the wdrds distorted and axial bending withreference to the soft,

resilient feed 'rolls l3 and H, are used in a broad 'same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim: I

1. A wringer feed roll of substantially starshaped cross section and provided with a relatively narrow band of circular cross section adapted to frictionally engage the surface of a wringer roll to be thereby driven.

2. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer roll and a feed roll, the latter being sufiicient-ly resilient to permit axial bending thereof toprevent the production of high pressure in localized zones between said rolls, shafts project from the opposite ends of said feed rolL-and means for rotatably mounting said feed rollso as to permit independent lateral adjustment of the axes of said shafts as an incidentto such axial bending.

3. In a wringer, the combination of wringer roll, a pair of 'feed rolls disposed one on each sideof said wringer roll and each provided with shaft portions at their ends, means for supporting said feed rolls attheir ends comprising, at each end of the wringer, a supporting shaft ele; ment disposed intermediate said feed rolls;' -a bracket plate rockably mounted on said shaft element and provided adjacent'lits opposite ends with elongated slots, said slots extending toward said wringer roll and being adapted to receive the'shaft portions of the respectively adjacent ends of said feed rolls; said fee'd rolls being thereby supported for revoluble and lateral movement relative to said wringer roll and resilient means normally urging said feed rolls into operative position closely adjacent said wringer roll.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer roll, a pair of feed rolls disposed one on each side of said wringer roll and each provided with shaft portions at their ends, means for supporting said feed rolls at their ends comprising, at each end of the wringer, a supporting shaft element disposed intermediate said feed roll, a

bracket plate having a centrally located, longitudinally extending, elongated slot for receiving said supporting shaft element whereby the bracket is rockable on said shaft element and also longitudinally adjustable, said bracket plate also being provided adjacent its opposite ends with elongated slots, said slots extending toward said wringer roll and being adapted to receive the shaft portions of the respectively adjacent ends of said feed rolls, said feed rolls being thereby supported for revoluble and lateral movement relative to said wrin'gr roll, and resilient means normally urging said feed rolls into operative position closely adjacent said wringer roll.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of wringer rolls, a feed roll'structure comprising a bracket extending transversely of said wringer rolls and mounted intermediate its ends for-rocking movement, a pair of feed rolls respectively disposed on opposite sides of said wrlnger rolls and rotatably mounted in said bracket,'means for automatically effecting rocking movement of said feed roll structure in accordance with the direction of rotation of said wrlnger rolls to position one of said feed rolls in operative relation to one of said wringer rolls and the other feed roll in inoperative position, and stop means for limiting said rocking movement of the feed roll structure, the arrangement being such that when the wringer is used the normal forces transmitted to the operative feed roll tend to hold the feed roll,

structure in'the position determined by said stop means.

6. In a wrlnger, the combination of a pair of wrlnger rolls, a feed roll structure comprising a bracket extending transversely of said wringer rolls and mounted intermediate its ends for rocking'movement, a pair of feedrolls respectively disposed on opposite sides of said wrlnger rolls and rotatably and laterally adjustably mounted in said bracket, meansfor automatically effecting rocking movement of said feed roll structure in accordance with the direction of rotation of said wrlnger rolls to position one of said feed rolls in operative relation to one of said wrlnger rolls and the other feed roll in inoperative position, and stop means for limiting said rocking movement of the feed roll structure, the arrangement being such that when the wringer' is used the normal forces transmitted to the operative feed roll tend to hold the feed roll structure in the position determined by said stop means, and

' resilient means for yieldingly urging the opera- .tively positioned feed roll laterally toward said wrlnger rolls 7 7. In a wrlnger, the combination of a pair of wrlnger rolls, a feed roll structure comprising a bracket extending transversely of said wrlnger rolls and mounted intermediate its ends for rocktive position, and stop means for limiting said rocking movement of the feed roll structure, the arrangement being such that when the wrlnger is used the normal forces transmitted to the operative feed roll tend to hold the feed roll structure in the position determined by said stop means.

8. In a wrlnger, the combination of a pair of wrlnger rolls, a pair of feed rolls disposed one on each side of said pair of wrlnger rolls, each of said feed rolls being provided with projecting shaft portions at their ends, means for supporting said feed rolls comprising, at both ends of the wringer, supporting shaft elements substantially co-axial with one of said wrlnger rolls, and

bracket plates rockably mounted on said shaft elements, said feed rolls having their respective projecting shaft portions rotatably mounted in said bracket plates, one of said feed rolls having frictional engagement with one of said wrlnger rolls so as to be thereby rotated as an incident to the normal rotation of said wrlnger roll, the normal resistance to rotation of said feed roll servingto cause said bracket plates to be rocked on said supporting shaft elements and said feed rolls to be simultaneously adjusted in opposite directions as an incident to a change in the direction of rotation of the wrlnger roll, one of said feed rolls being moved into and the other out of operative feeding relation to said wringer roll.

GUSTAF E. ANDRE. 

